Gattis hit .182 in March and .203 in April. Giles recorded an abysmal 7.88 ERA in May. But in the Astros' 6-3 road victory against Oakland on Tuesday night – the sixth consecutive victory for Hinch's 43-25 club – Gattis went 2-for-4 with a home run, double and five RBIs, while Giles shut down the Athletics in the ninth, striking out two and throwing 10 of his 12 pitches for strikes.

I could have sworn that devoted Astros fans were calling for Gattis to be benched (or traded) and Giles to be banished – yeah, the latter definitely happened – not that long ago.

Right now, Keuchel is the topic of the week, replacing the "Astros' bullpen" as the name that frustrated readers and TV watchers most want to be rid of.

In the last year, everyone from Springer and Bregman to Sipp, McCullers and Reddick have topped the You're-Sick-of-'Em list.

Hinch's sticking by Springer in the 2017 World Series said it all. But Gattis' recent power outburst and Giles (perhaps) gradually regaining his confidence have also been reminders that, in Major League Baseball, sometimes the best move is simply not making one. Or balancing out a closer's erratic tendencies by sliding him into lower leverage late-inning relief, then inserting him back into a save situation with a 6-3 lead against an average A's team.

It's 100-percent impossible for a manager to be perfect. Heck, during the Astros' glorious 2017 postseason, there were times when I (and you) strongly believed that Hinch's trigger was too quick or he called on the wrong reliever at the worst time.

The Astros still won it all, partly due to their manager's mastery of his bullpen. And a mid-June run that was there for the taking when the Astros left Minute Maid Park is now unfolding just as it should, with Hinch's team just two wins off its franchise-record 2017 pace (45-23) and heating up just as the summer arrives.

Depth meant so much to the Astros last season. Which is partly why benching/trading/releasing ____ _____ (insert the name of the latest slumping Astro) rarely, if ever, made sense in 2017 and hasn't been prudent this season.

Injuries, setbacks and cruel disappointment always happen during the long 162. The Astros worked a long time and lost a ton of games just to be this deep. Why get rid of it all now, just because of a minor slump from May 26 to June 5 against some of the best teams in the game? Why suddenly bail on a streaky slugger who blasted a team-high 32 home runs in 2016 and drove in 55 runs in just 300 at-bats last year?

Stay the course. Stick by your guys, especially when you're still winning games.

Fact: The Astros have the best rotation in baseball. About 29 other teams would also love to have Keuchel and his 4.45 ERA as a No. 5 starter.

I spent the last three days taking a ton of Astros calls on a local radio station. Much of the conversations were spent talking good fans off the Keuchel ledge.

I remember when callers, readers and Twitter-ers wanted Bregman shipped back to the minors; Reddick permanently stuck on the pine; Sipp off the team; McCullers permanently placed in the pen.

Hinch has outlasted all that, adapted as the seasons have evolved – less Sipp at times; McCullers as a starter/reliever/starter; a little well-timed rest for Bregman and Reddick – and constantly kept the Astros pointed toward the W column.

He's 314-240 (with a ring) since he took it all over in 2015. He hasn't had a losing season in orange and blue, and won't anytime soon. And the Astros' current .632 win percentage is better than their .623 mark during their 101-win season last year, which resulted in the second-most victories in franchise history (and a World Series title).

Managers come and go. One wrong move in another nine-inning game makes everyone forget all the right ones.

But Hinch got it right in 2015, professionally guided the Astros through a rough '16 season, won the whole darn thing in '17 and is now leading a loaded team that entered Wednesday just three games behind the Yankees and Red Sox for the best record in the sport.

Maybe he'll get one wrong Thursday night in Oakland.

But four seasons into the Hinch era in Houston, the Astros' skipper has mostly gotten it right. And Hinch has often reminded us that he's calling the real shots for a reason.

Brian T. Smith is a sports columnist for the Houston Chronicle. He has won multiple Associated Press Sports Editors awards and been honored by numerous journalism organizations. Smith was a Houston Texans beat writer for the Chronicle from 2013-15 and an Astros beat writer from 2012-13. The New Orleans-area native previously covered the NBA's Utah Jazz (The Salt Lake Tribune) and Portland Trail Blazers (The Columbian), among other beats. He is the author of the book Liftoff, which documented the Astros' rebuild and 2017 World Series championship.